# Endnotes explained — The Chessmen of Mars

> Chapter companion for The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

## What happens

The endnotes provide clarifications on terminology, measurements, and cultural references used in the narrative, including explanations of Bantoomian leadership titles, the freelance warrior term 'panthan', Martian distance and time equivalents, and the physiological endurance of Martians.

## Character check-ins

### John Carter

Author of the endnotes, providing explanatory annotations.

## Key lines

> I have used the word “king” in describing the rulers or chiefs of the Bantoomian swarms, since the word itself is unpronounceable in English, nor does jed or jeddak of the red Martian tongue have quite the same meaning as the Bantoomian word, which has practically the same significance as the English word “queen” as applied to the leader of a swarm of bees.

The term 'king' is an approximation for the Bantoomian leader, as their actual title is untranslatable and more akin to a queen bee than a Martian jed or jeddak.

_Clarifies the translation of Bantoomian rulership terminology._

> Those who have read John Carter’s description of the Green Martians in A Princess of Mars will recall that these strange people could exist for considerable periods of time without food or water, and to a lesser degree is the same true of all Martians.

As noted in 'A Princess of Mars', Green Martians can survive long stretches without sustenance, and all Martians share this trait to some extent.

_Explains Martian endurance capabilities referenced in the story._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters/endnotes
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_chessmen_of_mars_se/chapters